AN OPEN LETTER TO WILL FLANAGAN

His Honor Mayor Will Flanagan

Dear Mayor Flanagan:

I would like to congratulate you for your impressive win over the candidate I supported, City Councilor Cathy Ann Viveiros. She is a Fall River patriot, as I know you are, and is a fine and good person as well. She fought a hard and spirited campaign. Please do not hold against her the words or actions of some of her more zealous supporters. You yourself have quite a few hyper-spirited individuals in your coterie of supporters as well, and both sets are part and parcel of electoral politics. Their actions are predictable but must be forgivable as well. It is time to move forward together. It's time to work as one. Please be the leader I know you can be and first start by healing all the wounds of a hard fought campaign. Only you can do that.

I know you are starting your meetings with ol' Hamhocks Larue. I know you have no choice but to deal with him. It's all right by me if you smile and nod your head and agree to things, but when he's gone, break every agreement you reach with him, because you and I both know this thief of the public trust is probably lying to you about every commitment he's making about positions he plans to fill, for one, and everything else, in general. Why do I say this? It's been his track record since being in office, and such arrogance, hubris and rage in a person does not simply change in the span of several months. I know from personal experience. The loss will probably do him much more good than he can possibly see now. Letting go usually is a difficult process for one so much in control for so long. Don't believe a word he says because he's not near to letting go yet. Protect yourself. Keep all of your options open, even to those who helped you win.

You see, you are in charge now, and only YOU will be judged for the decisions you make. It will be an isolating experience. I do not envy you, although when I was younger I might have. I learned, and so shall you, that life has a way of tempering all you thought you believed in yourself and in others. So tread lightly, yet deliberately. Many depend on you now. You have been granted a grave responsibility. It may surprise you to hear that I think you can handle it. Take a few deep breaths and move forward.

Of all the issues being discussed right now concerning your transition, the one I have not yet heard mentioned is the only one that really counts - City finances. I hope this is because you are digging in, working on this area quickly and quietly, both you and your financial people, because this is the area that first must be reviewed to see just how many of your promises are now possible. Without this knowledge, without knowing realistic boundaries of your plans set by resource limitations, a bad situation can turn into an impossible one right away. So, for the benefit of the entire City, please, PLEASE, take this fact into consideration. I am making a serious request for you to check and double check, even triple check, every report you are given, every estimate you are given, every statement you are given, concerning the state of the City's financial situation. If you start out , and you get this wrong, even to a small degree, the after effects will be disastrous. And I don't have to remind you the guy you are sitting across from, and his workers and supporters, have no reason to help you look good. On the contrary, they want to make things look great now, as they are leaving, so when the truth is found out, it will be too late, and your administration will be in trouble before it has had a chance to begin. Then they will look great by comparison, and they will taunt you with cries of "We told you so!" Enough said about City finances, I'm sure you already understand what I am saying. What can I say, I'm a worrier by nature. It comes from a career in public service working for elected officials.

I hope you are the most successful mayor in the City's history. Fall River could use a whole bunch of good news. Maybe you could also start a few needed changes. I think your idea of City Charter change for removing the Mayor from the Chair of the School Committee, given all the troubles we have witnessed lately with ol' Hamhocks obvious control debacles, is understandable. But also remember that a strong City-side executive presence was allowed by the state to have a say on the single largest expense item in any community's budget, education. I'm sure you'll do what you feel is right after consideration of your own.

Also, maybe it's time to enact two other charter changes. First, it would appear to be necessary to ensure that all people are represented fairly on the City Council by finally creating specific wards within the City, for council electoral purposes, thereby making possible district representation. Maybe six districts with each electing their own City Councilor, with three at large Councillors elected by the entire City. This way candidates with lots of money to spend on campaigns will not have an advantage over qualified candidates who are simply not as wealthy as others. The current system gives an unfair advantage to incumbents and wealthy candidates. That is unfair and un-American. It should be changed. The terms of the Councilors could be increased to three years, yet staggered as well, so that different councilor districts and at-large councilors run on different three year timetables.

Also, the reality of a two year term for Mayor is that it is simply too short a period of time for the serving mayor to get real work accomplished in solving what appear to be intractable problems, like drug addiction related crime, business development and economic development, and unemployment. The current two year term means that the Mayor is constantly running for re-election without having the breathing room and time to deal with serious City problems or administrative improvements that require a longer frame of reference to produce positive change. The City budget nears the quarter billion dollar figure. The City needs a four year Mayoral term. It's time. These suggestions will require Charter changes. These things should rank high on your agenda, in my humble opinion. (Humble? Once again, I shock my ex-wife!)

Well Your Honor, that's all I can say right now. I truly want you to succeed. We need you to succeed. Not just for the City to run well, but to help the people of this City feel good about Fall River again. We need this as much as we need a balanced budget. Sick in finances and sick in spirit is not the way to live. Help us change both, be a great mayor Will Flanagan. I believe you can be. Good luck!